The Will to Live
by Zero1313
Summary: A boy, dying of poison, is given a second chance in another world. There he meets a locale thief and together, they do what they can to survive. Will becoming a Rescue Team help or hinder them? Will they find the truth behind the boy's past? Or will these rumors of a strange organization turn out to be their greatest problem?
1. Prelude

**The Will to Live**

**Prelude**

Pain. That's the first and only thing I can remember; white hot pain that felt as if it was progressing through my body. No matter how hard I try that is always the first thing I remember. I cannot recall anything else before then, not my name, nor where I was, nor even who I was, what I looked like and how I came to be in so much pain.

Was I rich or poor?

Did I have a good family or a bad one? Did I even have one?

Was I runaway; and if so, who or what was I running from?

Did I have friends or was I alone?

I may never know. But I can at least tell you what I do know.

As I continued to endure the pain I began to feel a presence as if someone was watching me.

"Please," I tried to call out, "help me."

At first I thought the person didn't hear me but, "It is already too late." Said a voice I did not recognize nor could I even tell if it was male or female.

"There must be something you can do." I managed to croak out.

"I cannot save you." The voice answered back. I began to lose hope but then the voice continued, "But I can give you a new one."

I dared to believe, but I knew there had to be a catch.

When I asked the voice answered, "Does there need to be one?"

"There's always one."

"Perhaps, but does it matter?"

"Depends on what the catch is."

"Well I might need your help with something, but that won't be for a while."

I wanted to think it over or at least I think I did. But the pain was getting so intense that I agree before even getting the chance to think about it.

"Excellent." The voice said sounding pleased with itself.

The presence that I felt left and what little feeling I had left, as well as the pain started to fade.

But before I completely blacked out I felt a new presence, different from the one I felt before.

"I'm sorry," was it or rather_ he_ said before I blacked out.

0000000000000

When I came to I no longer felt any pain, but my body was so sore I couldn't move.

When I tried to open my eyes all I got was a hazy picture of what I thought was my purple right arm.

'Wait, purple?' I thought. 'That can't be right'

Before I could ponder this any further I returned to my dreamless slumber.


	2. Ch 1: A New World

**Chapter 1:**

**A New World**

I'm not sure how long it was, but eventually I came around, this time for good.

As I started to wake up the first thing I noticed was that my body wasn't sore anymore, but then came this annoying sound. It sounded far away, but I could hear it as if it was nearby. I couldn't make out what it was so I decided to ignore it as best I could for right now.

I pried my eyes open to find myself shaded by something. Looking up I noticed that I was lying under a tree and, looking around, found many more trees just like it. I also saw bushes and other shrubbery around me leading me to believe I was in some kind of forest.

I felt a cool breeze and almost felt like going back to sleep until I realized I had no idea where I was. As I stood up to take a look around I noticed I was standing on all fours.

"That's not right," I said to myself, "is it?"

I looked down at what I thought were hands, but instead looked like short, stubby, purple-scaled legs. Trying to keep from panicking I swung my head around to try and get a look at the rest of me. But all I saw were more purple scales and what looked like spikes along my back.

What I saw did seem familiar, but I was too focused on thinking that this wasn't right to really think about it.

"Calm down, calm down," I said to myself thinking it would help. "I'm sure there is a reason I look like this I've just got to remember it."

But as I started to think about I came to an even more horrifying fact. I didn't remember anything.

Before I could panic even more with this new revelation the sound I had heard before was getting louder. I started to make out what sounded like voices yelling and something running through the shrubbery.

I made it as far as turning towards the noise before I felt something slam into me.

After I managed to get rid of the stars in my eyes I looked over to see what had hit me and what I saw didn't help in making this day any less stranger.

It was reptile like with long arms and legs with three circle digits on its hands and feet. It was light green, but also had red along its stomach and lower jaw, along with a single thin black across its stomach. It had one (at least I think it's one) large dark green tail that ended with two separate lobes. Its head was tall and had two long bumps which I presumed were its ears along with a round nose. Lastly were all the bruises across its body.

What surprised me most was not how the creature looked, but because I knew three things.

It was a Treecko, it was a male, and it was a Pokémon.

'How do I know that?' I thought to myself.

But before I could think about that anymore, the Treecko began to stand. Or at least he tried to.

At that moment another figure came out from around the trees and pinned the Treecko to the tree I was laying under moments ago.

"Finally, we caught you!" It said in a loud male voice.

Shortly after that another figure showed up as I finally got the chance to take a good look at both of them.

The one that just showed up was a snake with a wicked looking blade at the end of it. It was black with yellow hexagon patterns along its back and yellow spots under it. It had a similar symbol on its forehead along with a purple stripe along the left side of its face and right below its head and a purple ring where the rest of its body meets its tail. It also had to ruby red eyes to match its long front fangs and the bladed edge of its tail. Like the Treecko, I also knew this was a Seviper and a female one at that.

The one that had Treecko pinned was even stranger. It was purple and almost looked like it was made of gas and yet it was still solid enough to keep Treecko pinned. It had two hands with its right one keeping Treecko pinned, but both weren't even connected to its body. Speaking of body, it looked more like a floating head than a body, complete with spikes on the side of it, two large black eyes and a big mouth that was currently turned into great big grin. Again I could tell it was a Haunter and just like its voice was male.

"Thought you had gotten away from us didn't you." Haunter sneered putting more pressure on Treecko's neck.

"Well think again," Seviper continued, "no one escapes Team Venom."

Both of them were ignoring me and judging by the looks in their eyes, were about to seriously hurt the Treecko.

I found myself jumping to my feet and yelling "Let him go!" before I could even stop myself.

When all eyes, including the amber eyes of the Treecko, turned to me I took an involuntary step back and began to really question sticking up for him.

Team Venom sneered at me and the Seviper slithered up to saying, "Stay out of this kid. This doesn't concern you."

Despite my fear, I still felt that I needed to help this Treecko.

"Maybe it doesn't, but I'm not just going to stand here and let you bully him."

Both of them just laughed.

"Do you even know who this Treecko is?" Haunter sneered and before I could even answer he continued, "This happens to be the most wanted thief in all of Clocktown. He steals from anyone when he gets the chance."

"Just scum like you." Treecko manages to say.

"Quite you!" Seviper says before hitting him with the blunt side of her tail.

It was then that I noticed the bag hanging from the Treecko's shoulder. It must have belonged to Team Venom. Even with this knowledge I couldn't bring myself to turn against Treecko. He looked thin; enough to realize that he probably doesn't eat much.

Seviper is still hitting Treecko and each blow makes me angrier and angrier. Before I can stop myself, I charge head, or should I say horn, first into Seviper, pushing her into Haunter.

Treecko falls to the ground gasping for breath and I rush over to help him up.

"Come on," I yell urgently as Team Venom try to get back up, "we need to go!"

Treecko looks at me confused, but only for a moment before we're both running to get away from two very pissed off Pokémon.

We run for who knows how long and every now and then Treecko stops thinking we've lost them, but change his mind when I tell him I can still hear them following us.

Eventually, I don't hear them anymore and just collapse on my side completely exhausted with Treecko falling on his back likewise exhausted.

We just lay there panting for several minutes trying to catch our breaths.

Once we catch our breath we look at each other and all of a sudden we both start laughing as if we'd done that before and it was a normal thing.

"The looks on their faces was priceless!" Treecko said still laughing a little.

"Yeah," I said still laughing myself, "I don't know what came over me."

"Which reminds me," He said sitting up and getting over his laughing fit, "Why did you help me? You heard them, I'm a thief."

I didn't really have an answer so I just sat there fiddling with my hands or paws.

"It's not that I'm mad or anything. It's just that it makes no sense for you to do that for me."

"Like I said," I replied finally, "I just didn't like how they were treating you. Plus, there must be some reason why you stole from them. Like how you look like you haven't eaten in a while."

He chuckled and said, "It's not that I haven't eaten in a while it's that I haven't eaten that much."

He pulled the bag over his head and started to look through it before pulling out a small round blue berry and started chewing on it. As he did the bruises on his body slowly started to disappear.

Like with the Pokémon I knew the berry was an Oran berry and that it accelerates the healing in Pokémon.

'Why do I know these things?' I thought to myself.

But as always my thoughts were interrupted; this time by my growling stomach.

Treecko looked at me and all I could do blush in embarrassment.

He chuckled, reached back into the bag and tossed me an Oran berry too.

It fell next to me and all I could do was stare; first at the berry then Treecko.

"Go ahead," Treecko said with a smirk, "you deserve to share in the spoils too."

Before I could protest he held up a hand and said, "I'm not taking no for answer. Besides, you must be really hungry after all the running we did."

He went back to eating and even though I wanted to protest more, my stomach had other plans.

"I guess introductions are in order," Treecko said once the berries were finished, "My names Roddick, part time thief and full time pain in the neck for Rescue teams everywhere. And to what would the name of my rescuer be? Since you're a Nidoran I'd assume it would be something like 'King.'"

'So I was a Nidoran.' I thought. 'That explains the purple scales and the thorns.'

"Unfortunately," I said finally, "I don't have one. Or at least I don't remember it."

Roddick looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"What do you mean you don't remember?"

"Exactly that," I replied calmly. "I don't remember who I am where I am or even why I know you're a Treecko and those two we ran from were a Haunter and a Seviper."

"Well that's just basic knowledge, but forget that right now." Roddick said getting a little angry. "You mean to tell me you don't remember anything and you still went out of your way to help _me_; a _thief_?! Do you even remember what a thief is?!"

All I did was nod.

"Then why would you do that?! Why would you throw away a basic restart just to help _me_?!"

"Because you were in trouble." I said trying to stay calm. "What was I supposed to do just walk away?"

"Because by helping me you just threw away your best chance to a new life!" Roddick answered with ever growing anger. "Do you have any idea what I would give to have a chance like that, to just start over and forget this old life?!"

"If your life is so bad then why don't you just make it better?!" I yelled no longer able to keep my own anger in check. "Surely there must be some kind of job or are you just trying to run away from something?!"

"I'm not-!"

"Help someone! Please help me!"

We both turned to see a giant butterfly flying towards us looking frantic. Her main body was simple, made up of different circles and ovals in black and white with two long antenna and eyes that looked like a black and white Callide scope. Her wings were the most prominent part of her body colored in every shade of green with a few spots of red making them look like a garden. Vivillon with a Garden pattern.

"Sorry ma'am," Roddick all but snapped, "but we're in the middle of something."

"Please you have to help!" She said either ignoring him or too frantic to care. "My baby was taken by a wild Fearow and I'm not strong enough to fight him!"

When I heard what the problem was all my anger left me and I quickly asked which way the Fearow went.

"He headed that way." She said, pointing deeper into the forest and slowly calming down. "I think he was heading for the center of Overgrowth Forest."

"Okay," I said heading in that direction, "you wait here and-"

"Now hold up!" Roddick yelled, "We're not done here!"

I sighed, "I'm pretty sure saving a kids life takes priority right Roddick."

At the sound of his name the Vivillon gasped, "The wanted criminal?!"

Roddick ignored her, "That may be, but you can't go alone. You don't even know where you're going."

I smiled, "You're free to come along."

Roddick huffed, but took the lead nonetheless.

"You're not really going to let come with you are you?!" Vivillon said starting to get frantic again.

I was about to respond, but Roddick beat me to it, "I may be a thief, but I'm not about to let a kid get hurt on my watch." He turned to look back at Vivillon with a face that held so much determination I wondered if I was looking at the same Pokémon. "Don't worry, I promise we'll get your baby back safe and sound."

All Vivillon did was nod.

We started off and all I could do was look at Roddick with a feeling almost like pride.

"What's with that look?" He asked.

"Nothing," I said with a smirk, "just thinking that I'm glad I made the _wrong_ decision in helping you."

"Shut up." Was all he said.


	3. Ch 2: A New Name

**Chapter 2:**

**A New Name**

"You really don't know how to aim, do you?" Roddick said for the umpteenth time.

"Well at least I can take these wild ones out in one hit." I said getting really annoyed.

"True, but these wild ones are pretty week anyway." Roddick said.

"Then how do you explain that Pidgey that gave you such trouble?" I said turning to him with a smirk.

Now it was his turn to be annoyed, "That's only because the little pain wouldn't hold still long enough for me to hit him."

This was pretty much our trip through Overgrowth Forest, one stupid argument after another.

Shortly after we left Vivillon behind, I found out why this place was called Overgrowth Forest; the shrubbery all but exploded everywhere. It was so thick it made me wonder why so many Pidgey, Spearow, Taillow and Fletchling could live here; let alone a big old Fearow. Then again, maybe that's what makes it the perfect home; with so much stuff around, such as berries, twigs and vines, you could make a great nest, have a constant source of food and still keep it well hidden. So then why did that Fearow take Vivillon's baby?

I decided to ask Roddick.

"Who knows." Was his answer. "It's hard to tell what a wild Pokémon is thinking sometimes. Most of the times it's over territory; sometimes it's for food, but only if they don't have a steady source."

Aside from the accessional argument, Roddick had been teaching me a few things as well. Mostly how to fight since we would very likely have to fight the Fearow, but also about what wild Pokémon were.

Apparently a wild Pokémon is a Pokémon that has abandon civilization and chosen to live in the wilds. Once you spend so much time away from your mind slowly becomes nothing more than an animal. He told me it takes many years for it to take affect though and a simple trip to a nearby town or village can help keep you sane. When I asked if a wild one could turn back he said that it was possible, but it's almost like teaching a new born and takes a painstakingly long time. He said it's easier to teach one that was born in the wild since their minds were never fully developed to begin with.

As for how to fight, that part was a bit tougher. Roddick obviously couldn't teach me everything since we were two different types as well as completely different Pokémon, but he could at least teach me the basics. Things started out well, until I started missing a bunch. At first Roddick thought it was cause of my Takedown attack that I used frequently since there were a lot of Oran berries nearby, but that wasn't the case. Even after switching to Horn Attack, like the one I used against Team Venom, I still missed even if it wasn't anywhere near as often. Eventually, Roddick realized it probably meant I had an ability called Hustle. Before I could even ask what that meant my jacked up mind gave me an answer; Hustle is a special ability in which the user has an increase in attack power in exchange for less accuracy. The extra power definitely showed since I took down each of our opponents with a single hit almost every time.

"Forget about that now though," Roddick said, interrupting my thoughts, "How's your Poison Sting coming along?"

That was the one move I was having trouble with. Takedown, Horn Attack and even Bite were all easy enough to learn, but Poison Sting was giving me trouble; even though Roddick mentioned it was the most basic of all the Poison-Type moves. When he tried to explain it to me he told me I had to shoot out several purple stinger-like projectiles that would damage and poison on contact. Pretty straight forward right? Well unfortunately the best I could do was a single stinger that couldn't even go through a leaf. Roddick had explained that since he was at a serious type disadvantage that move would be a big help, so I kept practicing as we traveled.

But when I didn't answer all he did was pat me on the head and say, "Don't worry about it Nido, even without Poison Sting I'm sure we can rescue that kid no problem."

"Yeah, but even still-" I started to say, but then I finally processed what he said and came to a stop. "What did you call me?"

"What, did you think I was just going to call you Nidoran or Amnesia Boy all the time?" He answered turning towards me with a smile.

I almost felt like crying right there, but I managed to control myself even if I couldn't help the big smile from appearing on face.

"Thanks Roddick, it may just be a name, but that means a lot to me."

"Oh come on," he said blushing a little, "no need to get all mushy on me."

I just chuckled and continued walking only to stop again at what I saw ahead.

It looked as if the forest had come to complete stop. Ahead was huge clearing easily three or four acres big. The forest seemed to form a perfect circle around the clearing and standing right in the center was the biggest tree I had ever seen. You could tell it was ancient just by the size of it easily climbing well above all the other trees. All around the trees limbs were hundreds of birds' nests that look like they haven't been lived in in months.

"Figures he would pick this spot to nest." I heard Roddick say.

When I looked at him to ask what he meant I saw him looking, not at me, but up at the top of the big tree. So I just followed his gaze and looked up. I didn't like what I saw.

At the top of the tree was a gigantic nest able to fifty of the birds we saw with ease and still have room to move around. And perched on the edge of the nest was one big, deadly looking bird. He was three times our size at least with brown feathers that turned beige on bottom of his wings and on his back. He was standing on two wicked looking pick talons. His neck was long and skinny, but connected to a head that had an incredibly long beak. He also had a red spiked Mohawk like haircut on his head. His eyes were closed, but I had a feeling he wasn't sleeping.

"This isn't going to easy." Roddick said grimly.

"Why not?" I asked looking at him.

He looked at me and said, "Look past the trees and tell me what you see."

I was a little confused, but did as he said. After a little while I realized what he meant.

"There's no cover between here and the tree." I said grimly.

"Exactly," Roddick said, "its cause of that tree that this place is loved by bird Pokémon; weather their wild or not."

"What do you mean?" I asked still a little confused.

"Think about it," he said, "this place is filled with berry trees and that tree is a perfect place to live. Bird Pokémon frequent this place very often, we're just lucky we timed our visit when almost all of them are on the southern half of the island."

He noticed my confused look and shook his head, "Don't worry about it, I'll tell you later. Anyway, many bird Pokémon live in that tree because it's a natural stronghold. With so much empty space between here and that tree it would be impossible to get there without being spotted by the sharp eyes of a bird of prey. Usually many more birds live in it even if they aren't the same kind; they still mind their own business."

"But this bird has taken it all for himself, as if he doesn't want them to interfere." I said catching on.

"You catch on fast Nido." Roddick said with a small smile. "It's almost as if he set a trap, but that doesn't make any sense. What would he need a trap for when there's all these berries all around to eat instead?"

"Maybe he's not interested in food." I thought out loud.

"Perhaps, but we'll worry about that later. Can you hear anything up there?"

As we had traversed through the forest I had learned to use my big ears to hear if anything was approaching us so we wouldn't be caught by surprise.

I closed my eyes and began to focus and, even though it was faint, I could hear crying from up on top of the tree.

"The kids up there," I said opening my eyes, "but I'm not sure if he's hurt or not."

"It's good enough," Roddick said, "now to just get up there and get him."

"I'm guessing you don't have a plan?"

"No I do, your just not going to like it."

After he explained the plan I understood why I wouldn't like. The plan basically involved me playing me decoy while he climbed up and got the kid.

"All right I'll do it." I said after thinking about it for a sec.

"That's it?" He said surprised. "You're not going to argue?"

"There's not much point to. I can't climb up that without help and you're at a type disadvantage against him."

"I just didn't think you'd accept it so easily."

"Hey, just because I accepted it, doesn't mean I like it!" I said annoyed.

"I'd be even more shocked if you weren't." He said with a smile.

I was about to retort when he started wrapping something around my neck. Once he was done I looked down to see a vine with an Oran berry tied to it. I looked up at Roddick to see he was tying a similar one to his neck.

"Just in case," Roddick answered my confused face, "if anything goes wrong, eat it up so you can get your energy back."

I smiled and turned to head beyond the trees before Roddick stopped me.

"If things start looking bad head straight for the tree cover okay?" I looked back to him with a very serious face. "Don't worry about me and the kid, I can move pretty fast even with cargo. Just worry about yourself alright?"

I just smiled and said, "Thanks, but you should focus more on yourself alright?"

"I just don't want to see you throw away your second chance."

"There you go again." I said exasperated, "Look this is _my_ 'new life' okay and I'll choose what to do with it."

"You really are one stubborn idiot." He said trying to sound angry, but failing miserably.

"Takes one to know one." I said before running out into the clearing.


End file.
